Kurt BRUGGER

Kurt Brugger began to race for the Italian national team in the various youth categories both in singles and doubles with Wilfried Huber, winning a gold medal in the individual and one bronze in doubles at the 1988 World Junior Championships in Olang. In the World Cup he débuted in the 1986-87 season competing in both singles and doubles, but soon abandoned singles, focusing only on doubles, where he earned his first Cup podium in 1987 in Olang (silver) and his first win in 1988 in Sarajevo. In the overall World Cup doubles standings he placed second four times. During his career, Brugger participated in four editions of the Winter Olympics with the highlight coming at Lillehammer in 1994, winning Olympic gold in doubles. In the course of his career he also won four medals at the World Championships, two silver and two bronze medals and four other European Championship medals, including gold in the 1994 team competition. Retiring from active competition after the 2002-03 season Brugger devoted himself to mountain climbing. His most important undertaking was to climb Nanga Parbat, one of the highest and most dreaded peaks in the Himalayas. Brugger was a trained forester. After years on the staff of the Italian national luge team, he became head coach in 2013.